Blue Heron Organic Farm

Volunteer Appreciation Day

2009-09-02T20:31:00.000-07:00

On August 15th, we had a little celebration for all the wonderful volunteers who have helped us on the farm throughout the season.

There was food, and music and a lot of fun on the farm that day.

Thank you everybody for a great day!

Flowers from the farm

2008-07-05T19:50:00.000-07:00

There is nothing like fresh cut flowers. At Blue Heron, we grow several varieties of edible flowers as well as annuals and perennials that make beautiful bouquets. The labyrinth of flower garden is magical in itself. You have got to experience it yourself if you can!

Beets!

2008-07-04T12:07:00.001-07:00

Happy Fourth of July from Blue Heron Organic Farm!

Our beets are ready - aren't they beautiful? We hope to see you soon!

2008-06-26T13:04:00.000-07:00

Blue Heron Farm Peas - freshly picked!

We have peas for you to pick at the farm! They are so sweet and yummy (not to mention pretty!) ! We hope to see you soon.

Peas and Potatoes

2008-06-21T17:17:00.000-07:00

The peas are almost ready for picking! Though it will still be a few more weeks before the potatoes are ready, they are getting bigger and giving out beautiful purple flowers.

We hope that you are enjoying the summer, and don't forget to stop by the farmstand or the farmers' markets for fresh produce!

Poppies

2008-06-19T17:03:00.000-07:00

Poppies from the farm's flower garden

With the rain and warmth we have had in the recent weeks, the farm is growing so fast! We are at the farmers' markets now with fresh organic produce, and the farmstand is open on Thursday-Sunday from 9-6! We hope to see you soon!

Rhubarb lesson

2008-06-12T18:18:00.001-07:00

Hey Farmer Ellery!
Thanks for donating rhubarb for the cooking class with youth from Spontaneous Celebrations at Haley House. We made a delicious crumble as part of the '"cooking local' meal I made with them. For many it was their first time eating rhubarb. Here is a photo of them listening intently to my 'ode to rhubarb' commentary.

Plant Sale and Rhubarb

2008-05-18T13:33:00.001-07:00

We had our annual Organic Plant Sale this weekend, and there will be another one next weekend as well with even more varieties to choose from. In addition, our delicious organic rhubarb is now ready to be turned into pies and crisps. See you at the farm!

Organic Plant Sale this weekend!

2008-05-15T18:14:00.000-07:00

Please check our website for more information about our upcoming Organic Plant Sale this Saturday, May 17 at the farm!

Planting continues

2008-05-02T14:39:00.000-07:00

Many things have been transplanted from the greenhouse, into the ground now: spinach, lettuce, peas, beans. Garlic is sprouting, potatoes are in... Spring is in full swing!

Our annual plant sale is coming up in two weekends. Stay tuned for more information.

Potato planting and more

2008-04-19T16:50:00.000-07:00

Red Potato before going underground

Rhubarb - much bigger now

It was an exciting day on the farm! The weather could not have been better, and we took advantage of it by planting hundreds of pounds of potatoes (all by hand)!

Though the trees surrounding the conservation land are still bare, Spring is really here to stay. Pea shoots are emerging from the ground, rhubarb and asparagus are sprouting at an incredible rate, and bird life is back.

Killdeer

The Nest

Check out this Killdeer's nest we found on the old gourd field today! Also known as a Plover, this bird has a unique way of deterring its predator from its nest. When threatened, the Killdeer will pretend to be injured, and move away from the nest to lure the predator in the wrong direction. This happened today when we unknowingly walked close to the nest during our potato planting session. The Killdeer made such a ruckus and walked around the perimeter of the field that it took us a while to actually locate the nest. The bird was also successful in calling its partner to come back and help in the defense. Quite a remarkable show we saw.

We will keep our eye on these eggs and report of the hatchings!

New Members

2008-04-10T17:30:00.000-07:00

A dozen more chickens will be joining us at Blue Heron Organic Farm this spring! They are still little right now, barely 6 weeks old. They are still protected indoors, under warming lights. Little do they know that a paradise awaits them on a 7-acre farm!

Signs of Spring

2008-04-03T16:57:00.001-07:00

onions

rhubarb

garlic

Slowly the farm is waking up from a long winter's nap. The garlic we planted in the fall is shooting up sprouts. The rhubarb is starting to poke up from the ground. The greenhouse is warm and cozy, growing baby onions, and beets and many more to come. Stay tuned for updates on life on the farm in the Spring time!

End of Season

2007-10-27T19:30:00.001-07:00

The cherry tomatoes are really gone now. The last frosts finally got them.

But the cold-tolerant plants like these beets are still flourishing. It
won't be long now, though, until everybody unanimously decide to finish up the growing season all together to store up energy for the next one.

Almost end of season, but not yet!

2007-10-23T12:35:00.000-07:00

We will be at the farmers' markets this week, and next week. The farm is slowly coming to the end of the growing season.

With such a dry summer behind us, we are hoping that our irrigation system will be installed for next year!

Thank you so much for all your continued support! Come visit us at the stand or the markets these next two weeks as we still have delicious greens and lettuces available. See you there!

Fall Festival and Fundraiser

2007-10-20T17:21:00.000-07:00

Mother nature bestowed us with lovely weather for our festivities this afternoon! After the rain and thunder and wind storm last night, we were left with crisp, clean air on the farm.

In the early afternoon, families, old friends, new friends, and generous customers started to arrive at the farm.

The children were treated to several hay rides, face painting, pumpkin hunt, and yummy treats. Three bands played fun music in the flower garden. Raffle prizes were displayed for those who may have been lucky.

Pumpkins, gourds, and greens adorned the farm stand, wagons and carts. We all enjoyed the company, the bounty, the beauty of the season. Thank you everyone for coming to the event! We hope you had a wonderful time! We appreciate your generosity, and your continued support for our small, organic farm!

More photos from the afternoon can be seen here.

Fall Festival

2007-10-16T17:47:00.001-07:00

You are invited to our 1st annual
Fall Festival
at
Blue Heron Organic Farm!

Saturday, October 20, 2007
(rain date Sunday, October 21)

1-5pm

Live Music!
Family fun, Pumpkin and Gourd hunt!
Organic Produce
Yummy food
Best Raffles!
And much more!

Please bring your friends and families
and come celebrate fall with us!

All proceeds will go to our
irrigation fund!

Garlic Planting

2007-10-15T05:17:00.000-07:00

Fall is in the air. Our garlic seeds are in the soil. Before we know it, they will be shooting up, creating beautiful garlic scapes next spring. But for now, they will have a long winter's nap in our healthy, organic soil.

Honey

2007-10-10T14:57:00.000-07:00

There is an apiary on Blue Heron Organic Farm, home to the thousands of bees that feed on our flowers. The resulting honey is rich, dark, and delicious! You can come by to pick some up for your next cup of tea (on a cool autumn day).

Ristras

2007-10-04T16:10:00.001-07:00

If you would like to be transported to the Southwest for a moment, please come visit our farm stand soon! You will find chili ristras hanging like curtains, making this October day very festive.

And yes, we still have raspberries, winter squashes, beautiful collards, kale, and rainbow swiss chard. This warm weather makes it feel like summer is here to stay, doesn't it?

Alice Waters at a farmers' market

2007-10-01T16:31:00.000-07:00

The New York Times today has a great video of Alice Waters shopping at the Union Square Farmers' Market in New York City. She has been and still is the inspiration for the current thinking about food and how to pick and cook fresh produce.

We highly recommend that you watch this video! You might just be inspired enough to come visit our farm stand tomorrow at the Lexington Farmers' Market.

Local and Organic

2007-09-30T15:57:00.000-07:00

A few people enjoyed picking their own raspberries today at the farm. There is something about the act of picking, and bringing your edible work home that is quite rewarding. Plus it just makes so much sense to get raspberries right here, near where you live versus buying a pint in a supermarket that came from Watsonville, California.

The raspberries here are just delicious, and the whole experience even sweeter. And remember, Blue Heron raspberries are organic!

Dry Flowers

2007-09-28T18:14:00.000-07:00

Here is a bouquet of flowers ready to be dried. Though it rained last night (yeah!), the sun shown brightly on our farm this morning, allowing the moisture on the flowers and leaves to evaporate rather quickly. The beauty is that these flowers will last long after our farm entered hibernation, resting for the rest of the year.

Edible Flowers

2007-09-26T19:43:00.000-07:00

Blue Heron has a labyrinth of flower garden. Several varieties of flowers grow here: sunflowers, snapdragons, cosmos, zinnias, and several edible flowers. These edible marigolds are surprisingly delicious. The yellow ones taste like oranges, and the orange ones more like tangerines.

They are beautiful in a salad made with Blue Heron lettuces, arugula, cherry tomatoes, turnips, carrots, and several other edible flowers (borage, nasturtium, to name a few). They all combine to make a salad almost too pretty to eat!

Raspberries

2007-09-25T10:50:00.000-07:00

These beautiful raspberries are ripening right now. Though not as prolific as they normally are on a wetter year, they are still delicious. You are welcome to visit the farm and pick your own raspberries before the season is over!

Beatiful Day

2007-09-23T18:59:00.000-07:00

Harold, a pet duck, came to visit our farm today. He was interested in the pumpkins and the gourds, remarking to us how beautiful they all were! The flowers in the labyrinth is having a revival from the frost as well. It was a remarkably beautiful fall day!

Gourds and Pumpkins

2007-09-21T17:55:00.001-07:00

We did it! The display is up. The beautiful gourds and pumpkins are now ready for you at the farm stand in Lincoln, and we can't wait for you all to see it! Please stop by between 9-6 on Thurs-Sun, and of course you can come see us at the Lexington or Davis Sq. farmers' markets, too! These gorgeous fall harvests will make you happy, we promise!

Farm Art

2007-09-20T12:19:00.000-07:00

As autumn approaches, the farm transforms from lush greens to art forms. Against the September Blue skies, the farm becomes a big art gallery full of displays of nature.
Soon we will have gourds and pumpkins available, so that you, too, can bring these pieces of art home!

Davis Sq. Market

2007-09-19T16:07:00.001-07:00

Davis Square Farmers' Market draws a lot of crowd every Wednesday afternoon, and there is a good reason why! Lots of vendors bring their best produce, cheeses, oils, flowers, and baked goods. Our stand looked beautiful today with gourds, tomatoes, leeks, beets, onions, and some flowers that tolerated the frosty nights. We will be there until Hallowe'en, so stop by to say hello and pick up a few things for your Wednesday dinners!

Survived the frost

2007-09-18T11:13:00.000-07:00

So nature only spared us one night. Ice covered a lot of the farm early this morning. Surprisingly, some flowers survived, so we made pretty bouquets for the Lexington Farmer's Market today. The hardier plants like the greens and beets and lettuces were okay as well. Let's hope for a few more warmer nights so the rest of the tomatoes get a chance to ripen!

Saved

2007-09-17T17:07:00.000-07:00

We were spared by nature last night. Well, almost completely. Out of our 7 acres, only the hollow portion of it was affected by the cold night. Our gourds and pumpkins, harvested yesterday, are resting safely in the greenhouse.

So the greens, and even the tomatoes are still thriving. Make sure you come and get them soon!

Harvest

2007-09-16T10:09:00.000-07:00

It's harvest season, no question about it. With a threat of the first frost tonight, we harvested pumpkins and gourds this morning, saving them from the (possibly) harsh night.

The farm was hopping today with old and new customers. They were happy to see a farm stand full of produce. Some of them spent some time in the flower labyrinth, making bouquets, and enjoying this most beautiful day.

Down time with the chickens

2007-09-15T16:25:00.000-07:00

We have 6 hens at the farm. They are more like pets than anything else, each one with its own name. Gertrude is the lead of the pack, and quite a runner.

When we are not working on the farm, or helping our customers at the shed, we relax with the chickens!

Late Summer Berries

2007-09-14T12:42:00.000-07:00

Asparagus berries against late summer blue sky. We are still harvesting away! Tomatoes are at their peak, the flowers are still blooming. Please come visit us at the farm stand and the farmer's markets in Lexington and Davis Square.